Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

The Importance of Keeping Mower Blades Sharp

Thursday, March 26th, 2015

At Exmark, we understand the importance of making sure your lawnmower is in tip-top shape in preparation for the upcoming landscaping season. One of the top maintenance items for any rotary mower is to ensure blades are properly sharpened, balanced and in good working order.

Exmark blades

Sharp, balanced blades are an essential component of cut quality. Exmark offers a variety of blades to optimize performance for different cutting conditions.

Why Sharp Blades Matter

When you are shaving your face in preparation for the day, think about the difference between the times you use a brand-new razor blade and the times you are trying to get one last shave out of an old blade. When using an old blade, your skin is more prone to cuts, infection, and irritation. When using a brand-new blade, you get a nice, clean shave.

The same thing happens with your grass. If the blades are dull or nicked, the lawn will get cut in a ragged way, causing it to suffer damage and become more susceptible to pests and other diseases. But if the blades are nice and sharp, the grass will get a clean cut, with greatly reduced damage or stress.

Blade Inspection

Mower Blade

Inspect and sharpen or replace mower blades at the start of each cutting season.

At the beginning of the landscaping season (and after roughly 8-10 hours of service) do a thorough inspection of your mower’s blades. Signs of a dull blade include bends, nicks, and/or dents. You’ll want to ensure the blades are properly sharpened and balanced. In addition to the physical inspection of the blades, do a quick inspection of the lawn before you begin your landscaping — clear away any rocks, sticks, or other debris in the immediate area. As you mow, keep an eye out for these blade-nicking items.

Properly Sharpening Your Blades

Keep in mind these few basic tips for sharpening your blade:

  • Wear protective gear, such as safety glasses
  • Disconnect the spark plugs
  • Remove the blade (instructions are found in your owner’s manual)
  • Use a metal file or sharpening stone
  • If using a file, run it in the direction of the blade’s angle — never file back and forth
  • Work in one direction only; blades usually have an angle of 45 degrees
  • Consult your owner?s manual for procedures specific to your mower

Depending on usage, replace your lawn mower’s blade(s) every 1-3 years. Always use OEM blades designed for your specific mower. Universal blades may save you a couple dollars, but can cause potential safety issues from improper mounting and/or the type of metal used to construct the blade.

Properly Balancing Your Blades

Having properly balanced blades is every bit as important as blade sharpness. An unbalanced blade causes stress on the engine and cutting deck due to vibration.

After you sharpen the blade, test its balance with a blade-balancing tool. If you don’t have access to this specialized tool, you can hammer a nail partway into a wall in your garage and hang the blade from it (using the center hole). If the blade hangs horizontally, it is in balance. If one side drops, remove excess material from the side it leans to, using a file or sharpening stone.

Professional Sharpening

If you follow these recommendations and have the proper tools and safety gear on-hand, sharpening your blades is a relatively easy task. However, if you don’t have the proper gear, or don’t feel comfortable doing this type of maintenance yourself, your local Exmark dealer can quickly sharpen and balance blades for you.

Bottom line: using sharp blades will help you have a perfectly mowed lawn, every time.

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Fuel Safety Tips

Tuesday, August 5th, 2014

Fuel safety is critical to the safe operation of any mower, and understanding how and when to inspect fuel system components doesn’t just increase safety, it also increases mower efficiency and longevity.

Keeping the mower clean from accumulated debris makes it easier to spot fuel system problems and reduces the risk of fire.

Keeping your mower clean from accumulated debris makes it easier to spot fuel system problems and reduces the risk of fire.

Tips that can increase the safety of you and your workers when working with fuel include:

  • Prior to fueling, always shut the mower down completely and allow it to cool.
  • When refueling, verify the correct type of fuel is being used — Filling the tank of a diesel-powered mower with gasoline (or vice versa) can cause significant engine damage, so double-check your fuel before you fill.
  • DO NOT operate the mower if any of the following fuel system conditions exist:
    • Fuel is leaking around hoses and/or clamps.
    • The fuel tank makes a hissing sound when the cap is loosened.
    • The fuel tank is bulging or collapsing.
  • Keep the mower clean and free of debris — Accumulation of grass, leaves, excessive grease or oil, or other debris can become combustible and could result in fire. After each mower use, remove debris from:
    • Fuel tank
    • Engine and muffler area
    • Oil filter area
    • Under belt shields
  • Frequently check all fuel hoses, clamps and connections — Some fuel system components are under pressure. Fuel hoses can be pulled, damaged or disconnected from contact with bushes, tree branches or other landscape features.
    • Check that all hoses are in good working condition and verify the secure fastening of clamps and connection points.
    • When replacing hoses and filters, use original factory routing and clamping.
  • Use only Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) replacement parts — Using improper components can result in gasoline leakage, fuel system failure and/or an increased potential for fire. Saving a buck just isn’t worth the risk!
  • Keep all guards, shields and safety devices in place and in safe working condition.
  • Before each use, check the condition of all electrical wires — Damaged wires increase the potential for a fire. Never operate a mower with damaged wiring. Replace or repair the damaged wire(s) and secure properly prior to mower operation.

Consult your operators manual for specific fuel system information for your mower. Visit http://www.exmark.com/Safety/ to view the online safety resources Exmark offers, or visit your Authorized Exmark dealer or distributor for prompt, efficient service with any fuel- or fuel system-related need.

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Focus on Training to Increase Operator Safety

Tuesday, May 27th, 2014

Operator safety is extremely important to everyone at Exmark, and we’ve seen first hand how consistent, thorough training can decrease equipment-related injuries due to operator error. This not only makes sense from the perspective of keeping your crews safe, it can also have a significant positive impact on your bottom-line, as the costs of work-related injuries add up quickly.

Operators should plan ahead and actively scan the landscape to avoid clipping discharge in the direction of people, buildings, vehicles or other sensitive areas.

Operators should plan ahead and actively scan the landscape to avoid clipping discharge in the direction of people, buildings, vehicles or other sensitive areas. Learn more about safe mowing at Exmark.com/Safety.

First, operators should read and understand the operator’s manual of each machine they will be using during the work day. In addition to the safety information presented in the operator’s manual, the Exmark website has a number of safety resources for each of the mowers we produce. The Exmark YouTube channel is also a fantastic resource for in-depth operator training videos.

A great example is this four-part video series on safe operation of the Exmark Lazer Z zero-turn mower:

Many of the Exmark safety training videos are also available in Spanish language versions.

It’s important that operators receive safety training both up-front and on an on-going basis. Not only does this better ensure operators receive and retain the important safety information, it also shows that, as an owner and as a business, safety is a top priority. That’s an important message not just for employees to hear, but customers as well.

Ultimately, it’s up to each landscape maintenance professional to determine the right level of safety training for operators. But like many things in life, safety training is a matter of a little investment up-front giving you the opportunity to enjoy greater and more consistent long-term rewards.

Please contact us with feedback or ideas that can help us improve future Exmark safety resources. We’d love to hear from you!

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Maintaining Your Cutting Edge

Thursday, September 12th, 2013

A little maintenance goes a long way when it comes to keeping your Exmark cutting system performing at its best. In the heat of the cutting season, while you’re focused on cutting grass, it’s easy to let blade and deck maintenance intervals slip. It’s a common challenge, but when it comes to cut quality and cutting efficiency, it pays to keep blades sharp and belts tight.

Blade maintenance

The sharpness and overall condition of your cutting blades are extremely important to the performance of your Exmark mower. Here’s why: instead of cutting cleanly, dull blades tear blades of grass instead of cutting them cleanly, increasing susceptibility to dieback and pests. And due to their inability to efficiently cut grass, dull blades also increase the load on the engine and powertrain of a mower. This decreases fuel economy and increases component wear, leading to increased service costs and ultimately, a reduced lifespan for the mower.

For landscape contractors, the lost efficiency and increased wear and tear can significantly impact profitability. As a result, it pays to inspect the blades and deck each day, and sharpen/balance blades every 10- to 50-hours, depending on cutting conditions. Be sure to replace any blades that show excessive wear, especially where flat and curved parts of the blade meet. If significant wear or slotting is observed (see Figure 1), replace the affected blades with appropriate Exmark Original Equipment (OE) before mowing again. Exmark OE blades are engineered for specific cutting conditions and their use preserves the performance and long-term durability of the Exmark cutting system.

Figure 1: Replace worn blades if you observe signs of wear or slotting.

Since cutting conditions vary, it’s tough to predict exactly when blades will need sharpening, so many contractors will keep an extra set of sharp, balanced blades in the truck, ready to be rotated-in at a moment’s notice. That way they can continue cutting uninterrupted and can wait until they get back to the shop to sharpen and balance the blades.

Belt and idler pulley maintenance

Belt tension is an issue that Exmark users really don’t need to worry about, since the belts are self-tensioning. Because of this, service is reduced to checking the condition of belts every 50-hours and replacing as necessary.

Because belts stretch most when they’re first installed, it pays to stay on-top of belt tension adjustment on mowers that lack an automatic tensioner. Running a mower with loose belts significantly decreases the lifespan of the belts, so check their tension three times in the first 24 hours of use following installation, adjusting as necessary. After this break-in period, check belts every 50 hour of use, adjusting when tension drops below the specification in the owner’s manual.

It’s easy to check belt tension with a ruler and a fish scale. Simply hook the fish scale around the belt and pull, using the ruler to measure the belt’s deflection. Some Exmark belts are specified to run at ½-inch of deflection under 10-pounds of pressure. At this tension, a 10-pound load on the belt will move it ½-inch.

Idler pulleys should be clean and free of debris. An easy way to extend the life of idler pulley seals is to spray them periodically with spray lubricant. Exposure of the seals to the sunlight’s UV rays can harden the seals, reducing their effectiveness. A quick squirt of spray lube periodically keeps the seals soft and supple and helps them do a better job of keeping dirt out.

Of course, keeping the cutting deck clean and free of debris is extremely important to the overall efficiency of an Exmark mower. Each day, as you check the condition of cutting blades, be sure to also check the mulch build up under the deck, cleaning as necessary.

Visit Exmark.com for more information, tips, product manuals, maintenance schedules and more.

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Cloudy with a Chance of Downtime

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

If you’re a seasoned landscape professional, you already know that rain doesn’t make for great mowing conditions. Heck, it doesn’t even make for so-so conditions. But if you must mow in the rain, there are certain steps you can take to make the best of the situation and continue to deliver a cut you can be proud of.

  • Always start with a clean deck and keep it clean between jobs to maximize airflow. This is good advice for mowing in any weather, under any condition.
  • Change the blades as needed.  Blades with greater lift tend to generate more airflow and provide better discharge power when the grass is wet.
  • Keep the deck at ¼” positive rake, so the blade tip cuts the grass.
  • Make sure your engine’s level is at the right RPM in order to reach maximum blade tip speed.
  • Check blade drive belts for wear and tear.  Replace any that might be slipping or reducing blade tip speed.
  • If you frequently mow in wet conditions, pack your fuse and electrical connections with dielectric grease to prevent corrosion.

Now that you’re ready to mow, keep in mind that the grass is slick and you should practice safety measures. For one, stay clear of steep embankments and areas where your rider can lose traction; use your walk-behind instead. And slow down, especially in pivoting turns.

Once you finish mowing, you should always turn off the blades while the mower is still in the grass, so that clumps, mud, and debris fall into the grass for easier cleanup. And have a good exit plan so you’re not tracking anything through your customer’s property.

Since water is your mower’s enemy, when you’re done for the day, run your mower for 2 to 3 minutes in a dry area so water doesn’t sit on bearing surfaces overnight. And keep your machine stored indoors.

There will be times when postponing mowing is a good idea – a really good idea.  If the forecast calls for heavy rain or if you notice standing water, it’s best to call it a day and wait until the rain has stopped and the grass has had time to dry.   At least then you won’t be wasting time and resources.

If you have anything to add, please leave your comments below. We would love to hear from you.

This post is courtesy of Exmark Sales Manager, Dan Dorn.

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